Disclosure: Your support helps keep our site running! We earn referral fees for some of the products & services we recommend. Learn more
Categories

Stream AFC Championship Game Online: Best Options to Watch Without Cable

Last Updated:

Don’t miss Super Bowl LVII. Watch it free with a FuboTV free trial!

The 2023 AFC Championship game was a close one but the Kansas City Chiefs managed to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals at the end.

In a hurry? The big AFC showdown is Sunday, January 29th, 2023 at , and will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+. These services provide CBS and any other TV channel you need to watch every game of the NFL playoffs:

  • Fubo: The best streaming service for international sports also provides 150+ well-selected channels. Fubo allows you to try out its service with a free trial.
  • DIRECTV STREAM: Get a great channel lineup with the best selection of RSNs in the industry. A 5-day free trial is now available for DIRECTV STREAM.
  • Hulu + Live TV: This total entertainment streaming service provides a great on-demand selection and all the essential live TV channels.

If you can’t watch your favorite sports because of your location, get ExpressVPN to access the content you deserve.

Unfortunately, we don’t know a streaming service in that covers this sport. But if you’ve already paid for the right service, and just can’t watch because of your location, there is an easy way to get the content you deserve. You need a VPN, like one of the following.

ExpressVPN
  1. ExpressVPN: Known as “The VPN that just works,” it combines remarkable ease of use with with state-of-the-art power, speed, security, and privacy. Get three extra free months when you sign up for a year. Unleash your streaming with this top-rated VPN.
Sign Up Now
HotSpot Shield
  1. Hotspot Shield: Connect to servers in 80+ different countries and 25+ US cities. HotSpot Shield features extremely fast servers and connections and is specially tuned for use with streaming services. And you can try it risk-free with a 7-day free trial and a 45-day money-back guarantee!
Sign Up Now
CyberGhost
  1. CyberGhost: Great low-cost service with ultra-fast servers in 90+ countries for smooth live sports streaming. It also provides great security and privacy. See if it’s right for you with a free 24-hour trial and test it out with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Sign Up Now

If you’re overwhelmed and not sure where to begin, you’ll find all the answers in our full VPN guide.

Washington Football Team vs. Cincinnati Bengals from FedEx Field, Landover, MD, August 20, 2021
The Cincinnati Bengals are the current AFC Champions by All-Pro Reels under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

When the regular season comes to an end, the postseason commences with the Wild Card Weekend on January 14th, 2023. After the first round of the playoffs is played, the top seed will play the lowest remaining seed at home in the second round. The two other teams will then be paired with each other, and the higher seed among those teams will serve as the host for that game.

For example, if the second, third, and fourth seed won their opening games, the number one seed would play the number four seed in the second round. The number two seed would then play the number three seed at home.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

The winners of those matchups would then play in the AFC title game for the right to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. As usual, the higher seed would serve as the home team for that game.

History of the AFC Championship

The very first AFC Championship title game was played in the year 1970 during the regular season after a merger between NFL and American Football League. Since then, NFL comprised of 16 teams and the AFL of 10 teams. Therefore, a realignment was needed to create equal number of teams for both conferences. NFL’s Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers ended up joining the 10 AFL teams to form the AFC and the remaining 13 NFL teams became the NFC.

Patrick Mahomes (#15), quarterback with the Kansas City Chiefs calling a play during a game against the Washington Football Team at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on October 17, 2021.
Current contenders and the 2020 and 2019 AFC Champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, by All-Pro Reels under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

AFC Championship Game Schedule

The AFC title game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 29 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, for the second year in a row. Kickoff is at . The contest will be broadcast on CBS, which is available through many streaming services. It is also available via antenna depending on location, and will be streamed on Paramount+.

Veteran CBS Sports NFL announcers Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson will be on hand to commentate.

Here is the complete schedule for the NFL Playoff games.

Unblock Your Favorite Events & Teams With a VPN

If you can’t watch your favorite events or teams because of your location, a VPN will allow you to get the access you are entitled to, plus extra security and unequaled privacy. Check out our VPN Guide for everything you need to know, including our top pick ExpressVPN.

Get ExpressVPN Today

Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

Streaming Services to Watch the AFC Championship

Depending on where you are located, you could put up an antenna and watch not just the AFC Championship game but almost all of the NFL playoffs. To learn how, see our HDTV antenna guide. It will tell you all you need to know. Check out Sling TV for a convenient way to integrate OTA and streaming TV.

It’s easier to go with a streaming service. These are our favorites:

FuboTV

fubotv logo

The FuboTV base service package is $74.99/mo and comes with all the local channels such as CBS, NBC, and Fox. It also comes with ESPN (and much more), which will allow you to watch every game of the playoffs. You also get 1000 hours of cloud DVR and the ability to stream on up to 10 devices at once.

FuboTV NFL on Android
NFL games listed on FuboTV running on an Android phone.

See our FuboTV review for all the details.

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM

DIRECTV STREAM offers packages starting at $79.99/mo that allow you to watch CBS and other local channels. For $108.99/mo, you can upgrade to the Choice package, which provides access to its excellent regional sports network (RSN) selection.

See our DIRECTV STREAM review for more information.

Get DIRECTV STREAM Free for 5 Days

Hulu + Live TV

hulu logo

Hulu + Live TV costs $76.99/mo and allows you to watch local feeds of all the national network affiliates. With it, you can watch all of the playoffs and more. It comes with unlimited cloud DVR (9-month storage) and the ability to stream on up to two devices. And you get Disney+ and ESPN+ to boot!

For more details, see our Hulu + Live TV review.

Try Hulu + Live TV Today!

Other Streaming Services

There are other ways to stream the AFC Championship.

Paramount+

Paramount+ streams content that airs on CBS, which means that you can watch the AFC title game with it for just $4.99/mo. See our Paramount+ review.

Try Paramount+ for Free!

YouTube TV

YouTube TV costs $72.99/mo a service similar to Hulu + Live TV. See our YouTube TV review for more.

Devices to Watch the AFC Championship

You can likely watch the AFC Championship game on one or more devices you already own. The three services we highlighted her support all the following:

  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Android mobile devices
  • Apple TV
  • Chromecast
  • iOS mobile devices
  • Roku
  • Samsung smart TVs.

LG, Vizio, and Android TV-compatible smart TVs are supported by FuboTV and Hulu. Those two also support the Xbox One and Hulu alone supports the PlayStation.

See our individual streaming reviews for complete information.

Bengals vs Chiefs Game Analysis

The AFC Championship features the Cincinnati Bengals at the Kansas City Chiefs. Most power rankings have them effectively as good, with the Bengals still considered (albeit slight) underdogs. And the FanDuel Sportsbook line on the game currently has the teams dead even.

Cincinnati Bengals 2022-23 Season

The Cincinnati Bengals finished the season 12-4, having played one fewer game than the standard schedule after the cancellation earlier this month of their game against the Bills due to Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest. They entered the playoffs as the number three seed. They also defeated the Chiefs in last year’s AFC Championship game, as well as in week 13 of this season.

Their main strength was the continued success of quarterback Joe Burrow, who has already become the QB with the most playoff wins in franchise history. Together with 2021 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Ja’Marr Chase and 2021 Pro Bowl RB Joe Mixon, the team will look to return to the Super Bowl after a narrow defeat against the Rams last season.

Kansas City Chiefs 2022-23 Season

The Kansas City Chiefs, this year’s top seed in the AFC, finished the season at 14-3, thanks to another amazing season by Patrick Mahomes. This will be his fifth straight appearance in the Conference Championship Game, where he is currently 2-2 with one Super Bowl ring and another appearance.

In addition to their young superstar under center, Travis Kelce is in his 10th season with the team but is not showing any signs of his age, as he is still considered one of the best tight ends in either conference. Rookie RB Isiah Pacheco has emerged as a formidable threat from the backfield after injuries to their starter, Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

Keys to Victory

The biggest obstacle in the past to the Bengals’ success has been the offensive line’s ability to protect Joe Burrow. During the 2021 season, including the playoffs, he was sacked 70 times in 20 games, the third-highest number in history. Although that didn’t seem to be an issue against Josh Allen and the Bills in this year’s AFC Divisional playoff, it’ll be hard to move the ball down the field if the offensive line can’t keep up.

One of Mahomes’ worst career performances was in the 2020 Super Bowl, where he faced the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady. Coupling Brady with a Buccaneers defensive line that was incredibly good at creating pressure, Mahomes couldn’t extend plays, which is his usual key to success. He finished the game without a touchdown. The Chiefs QB also suffered a high ankle sprain against the Jaguars in the Divisional Round, which will likely limit his mobility, though head coach Andy Reid said Mahomes is determined to play Sunday.

If the Bengals can continually pressure Mahomes and force him out of the pocket on his injured ankle, their chances of winning will drastically improve. On the other hand, if the Chiefs’ defense can sack Burrow a few times, it’ll be much more difficult for the Bengals to find the end zone.

Wrapping Up

The AFC title game will take place on Jan 30th, and it will feature the two teams that have survived the first two rounds of the playoffs. The contest will take place at the stadium of the highest remaining seed and will be broadcast on CBS.

Many streaming services offer CBS as part of their base packages. If none of them work for you, look into using an antenna.

Superpower Your Sports Streaming With a VPN

For the sake of privacy, security, and access, you should be using a VPN. They are low-cost and easy to use. We’ve been using them for years and our top pick is ExpressVPN. Other brands worth checking out include Hotspot Shield and CyberGhost.

i Our VPN Buyer’s Guide provides a complete introduction and all you need to know to choose the best VPN for your needs.

FAQs

What team has won the most AFC championships?

The New England Patriots have won 11 AFC championships with nine of those victories coming in the 21st century. Their most recent AFC title came in 2018 when they defeated the Kansas City Chiefs. The 2018 season was the most recent season in which the Patriots won the Super Bowl.

The New England Patriots, winners of the AFC Championship, enter the field for Super Bowl XLV.
New England Patriots, AFC Champions 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, and 2011 by SAB0TEUR under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Sign Up for a Free Fubo Trial

What team has the most appearances in the AFC championships?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have the most AFC Championship Game appearances (16). The Seattle Seahawks have the distinction of having appeared in both AFC and NFC conference title games. They lost in the AFC conference title game to the Los Angeles Raiders for Super Bowl XVIII and won in the NFC conference title game for Super Bowl XL.  Out of the current AFC teams, Houston Texans is the only team that has never played in the AFC Championship game even once.

Peyton Manning led the Denver Broncos to AFC Championship victory in 2013 and 2015 by Jeffrey Beall under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Which team is the defending AFC champion?

The Cincinnati Bengals are the defending AFC champions. The Championship game last year was played on Sunday, January 30, 2022, at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Bengals squeaked by the Kansas City Chiefs with a field goal in overtime, 27-24. They would go on to suffer a narrow defeat in turn to the NFC Champs, the Rams, at Super Bowl LVI.

How can I watch the rest of the NFL playoffs without cable?

You can learn how to watch the rest of the NFL playoffs with these articles:

See How to Watch NFL Without Cable for general advice. We also have articles on each team:

AFC East AFC North AFC South AFC West
Buffalo Bills Baltimore Ravens Houston Texans Denver Broncos
Miami Dolphins Cincinnati Bengals Indianapolis Colts Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots Cleveland Browns Jacksonville Jaguars Los Angeles Chargers
New York Jets Pittsburgh Steelers Tennessee Titans Las Vegas Raiders
NFC East NFC North NFC South NFC West
Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears Atlanta Falcons Arizona Cardinals
New York Giants Detroit Lions Carolina Panthers Los Angeles Rams
Philadelphia Eagles Green Bay Packers New Orleans Saints San Francisco 49ers
Washington Commanders Minnesota Vikings Tampa Bay Buccaneers Seattle Seahawks

Ditch “Big Cable” Now – 3 Simple Steps to Cut the Cord

  1. Pick the right streaming service
  2. Get the content you deserve with the best VPN.
  3. Supercharge your internet provider

That’s it — you’ll save money, take back control, and enjoy TV more!

Featured image: Lamar Hunt Trophy by Au Kirk under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Page Updates

  1. Added new section. Added links to streaming services. Linking. Pricing updates. Formatting. Cleaned up list.

  2. Added sub-section. Cross linking. Reformatting. Various changes to content.

  3. Image changes. Added useful links. Mentioned offers.

  4. Added table of contents. Added buttons for streaming services. Mentioned channel info. Changed a few bits of content. Changes to formatting.

  5. Updated some sub-sections. Image changes. More links.

  6. Image changes. Pricing updates. Added links.

  7. Updated some sub-sections. Updated some section headings. Various content updates.

  8. Pricing updates. Changed a few bits of content.

  9. Updated one section.

Frank Moraes
Follow me

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap